We Meet Again
by animellow
Summary: Kohaku goes out to meet Chihiro once more, despite her memories of him having faded along with the rest of her adventure. Will she be able to remember him? And what of the troubles that are to come, whether romance or otherworldly? Rated T just to be safe, but should be suitable for most ages.
1. Prologue: The Third Beginning

**Hi everyone! So, here it is, my first ever fanfic for Spirited Away, and I'm so exciteeedd! I really can't wait to see how it all unfolds after Chihiro's gone and left the other world, and I realllyyy can't wait to see her meet Kohaku again!**

 **Though my story won't be as creative as the movie, I'll try my best to let it live up to the one on screen with new characters from research as well as some of my own! I'm not really sure how long this will be just yet, but I hope that you enjoy it!**

 **\- animellow**

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He missed her. He really did.

He wanted to see that sincere smile and those bright, caring black eyes which seemed to sparkle with kindness and curiousity, as well as a brave soul who didn't give up till the end.

But no matter what, Kohaku could not go and meet Chihiro, as much as he was dying to, especially because the girl's memories of their whole world were gone - taking him along with them, and he knew that - but that didn't stop his heart from aching each time he remembered her. And though it was precisely because she didn't remember that he couldn't see her, he still wanted to.

He needed to.

Just one more time was all he needed, and he could probably live off of that memory for a lifetime (or so he claimed). Even just watching from afar would be enough if only to see her warming smile once more, and he was free now, which was even more reason to go see her, but again it was precisely because she did not remember that he could not.

After all, she wasn't meant to have come to this world, and neither were her parents - that he understood, but the gates that lead to this world were always changing. Each location from which they appeared was always different, ensnaring any curious humans who happenned to stumble across one.

But if she hadn't come they wouldn't have met again, he wouldn't have helped her, and for the first time in his long, long life he wouldn't have fallen in love. If fate hadn't brought them together again, maybe his heart wouldn't be as sorrowful as it was now, but Kohaku wouldn't have changed a single thing because she was the one person who had truly changed his life - and for the better.

Which brought him back to his initial thoughts:

He wanted to see her.

But for the hundredth time he had to remind himself that no, he could not see Chihiro because she would not remember him, as she wasn't supposed to.

Still, just because he couldn't or shouldn't didn't mean that he wouldn't, and as hard as he tried to restrict himself (which was pretty restricting), in the end Kohaku found himself transformed into a dragon, flying high in the sky towards the gate which lead him to the one person he wanted to see but could not, or rather, should not see:

Chihiro.

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 **So, just a few things I want to clarify before we start with chapter 1 (which I am currently working on, though I will be taking a break from in less than half an hour).**

 **1\. Chihiro has indeed lost her memories, as Miyazaki stated.**

 **2\. She will** ** _not_** **be reverted to her old, pessimistic self.**

 **That's about it so far. I hope you enjoyed this prologue, and check in for the next chapter soon! Hope you enjoyed as always,**

 **\- animellow**

 **Also, on a side note for those Pokemon Go Trainers out there, HAPPY COMMUNITY DAY!**

 **I'm super excited, and I even woke up an hour or two earlier just to be on time for the event. Hopefully one of us will catch a shiny Cyndaquil, and if you do PM me! (Or not, it's your choice really). As for you fellow Team Instinct members, let's work hard to beat our rival teams and catch the most Cyndaquilsss! We received third with the last Community Day, but let's prove ourselves the strongest and win by a landslide! But until then, see you!**


	2. It Was Too Late

By the time he was out of the tunnel which lead to the human world, Kohaku had finally realized his mistake to act on impulse and leave. He began to regret his actions, but it was too late - the gate would probably be closed now, unless he was lucky, and since it was already done he might as well move on.

Now in his human form, he took a look around to check where he might be, and found plants and greenery of all sorts covering the grass and walls beside the tunnel which he had just left. He looked down, and saw a statue similar to a daruma in shape, wearing a smile that might seem creepy to children. Above him was the sky, bright and blue and littered with clouds, the mossy walls around the tunnel covered with shedding, old red plaster.

He took a step forward, moving around the statue, and as he began to walk slowly he saw that he was walking on a path. He could tell from the edges and patches in the middle where grass hadn't fully or properly grown yet, brown bits of soil emerging from the gaps.

This might have been where Chihiro had first come to the entrance, he thought, though Kohaku couldn't really say for sure. Yet he continued to walk forward anyway, because he would definitely find her. They would meet again, and as much as it hurt to start over he was fine with that.

So he walked.

But what he didn't know was that Chihiro was closer to him than he thought.

Much closer.

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It had been about a year since she first came here, and though she was still a bit nervous somewhat Chihiro was already a little used to the students at her new school. She had plenty of friends which she made during the start, since most of her schoolmates turned out to be kind and sociable. And albeit with a few bullies (whom she tried to stop from hurting others, when she could), it was actually pretty nice to be in this school.

Of course, Chihiro did miss her old one. She had grown up in that old school, and she missed her other friends, and even though she was a little sad to have left them, she knew that she'd be able to see them again someday, like how she promised she would with a certain someone.

She stopped in her tracks in the middle of the corridor.

 _A certain someone...?_

Who was that? She didn't quite remember.

The memories in her brain weren't fuzzy; they were more like foggy, as if a spell had been cast to keep them out of view.

It was strange. As much as she tried to, she couldn't remember who that someone was. She had a small nagging feeling in the back of her mind like it might be important, but it was no good.

"Chihiro, what are you doing?" A friend called.

"Ah, sorry! Just thinking," was her reply, and she decided it might not be too important after all. Bounding over to her two friends waiting for her, she quickly ignored that nagging feeling and put the case to rest.

"So," a friend of hers grinned, "what were you thinking about?" She asked provocatively, wiggling her eyebrows. She moved back her long, straight black hair as she continued to pester the girl.

"Nothing, Konako." Chihiro replied, shaking her head.

From her left, another girl, Hikari, laughed, her blonde hair and blue eyes sparkling. "You're wrong, Konako," she said. "You should be asking _who_ she was thinking about, not _what_."

She blushed slightly as she heard the "Ohhhh, ri-ght" Konako made.

"I-It wasn't him, okay!" She stuttered, trying her best to divert her friends' attention and change the topic. "I was just remembering something. Like, you know, the first time I came here."

It wasn't a lie exactly, but nonetheless she made a mistake of mentioning that as the two began giggling loudly.

"Like when he helped you pick up your books after 'accidentally' bumping into you?" Hikari suggested, and Chihiro felt her face heat up.

"N-N-No!" She squeaked. "Not that! I was thinking of when I first met you guys," she stated, which was most definitely a lie and all of them knew it, but for different reasons.

"And anyway," she tried again to change topic, "shouldn't we get to class?" She asked nervously, and watched Konako take a look at her watch, its black strap matching the ink-colored skirt and blouse that each girl wore.

"You're right, but isn't that just an excuse to get out of this?" She smirked, and Chihiro had to nod.

"You caught me," she said guiltily, and they all laughed as they headed off to their next class.

As they headed up the staircase to the next floor, Chihiro went ahead of the other two as she rounded the corner when she hit a wall - or actually, a tall, black-haired boy with deep ocean blue eyes.

Blushing slightly, she turned her attention to his black uniform, only to shift her gaze down to her shoes, unable to look him in the eye.

"T-Taku-san," she flustered, and watched nervously as Hikari and Konako made their escape, giggling at her and giving a thumbs-up. She gulped, her heart racing a mile a minute because now she was all alone with him, the corridors now empty because most students had gone to class.

"S-Sorry!" They both shouted.

"N, no, Chihiro-san," he started. "I should be the one apologizing."

She did the same, shyly mumbling, "No, no. It's fine," as she waved her hands frantically in front of her face. "I wasn't looking where I was going, and so I should be the one apologizing..."

She trailed off, weak and distractedly realizing that she had been pulled into that absorbing gaze of his. Taku didn't seem to want look away either, or so she hoped, but coughed to break the silence, a red tinge on his cheeks.

"A-Anyway, shall we head to class?" He gestured behind her, and Chihiro nodded. "S-Sure."

The rest of the walk to their classroom was silent, the only noise Chihiro heard being her excited heart. She could swear that it was jumping out of her chest and that Taku could hear or see it, but just didn't say a word because he was too polite. Though in all honesty, deep down she hoped that he could, just a little bit - because someday, she wanted to be able to tell her feelings to him properly. And though she wasn't ready to confess (in fear of his answer), she certainly wanted to tell him.

Absorbed in her thoughts, Chihiro began to remember the first time they had met. It was when Chihiro had first arrived at her new house, and while the movers were bringing in her family's things she had gone out to explore the area. So she had stepped out of her blue house and began to walk through the street, passing by the numerous other colorful houses that laid in the same row as hers.

When she looked to her right, she found the grassy slope holding trees and bushes that lead to the tunnel which she had gone through with her parents before coming, and decided to explore it again, because why not? Besides, ever since she left it there was this feeling in her chest as if something was missing; as if she was forgetting something.

And so she went - down the slope, passing trees and birds and other critters until she reached the bottom, nearly falling over after having broken into a run.

And there he was, taking pictures with an old-looking camera he held in his hands, facing the strange roof covering the top of the wall. For a minute she couldn't help but watch, not wanting to disturb him.

Then he turned around and found her.

They had both yelled in surprise like earlier, and Chihiro laughed at the thought. Taku, hearing the sound, looked to her.

"Chihiro-san?"

She snapped out of her reverie. "Ah, s-sorry, Taku-san," she said. "I was just thinking."

He breathed a sigh of relief, at what she didn't know. "So what were you thinking about?" He asked.

She blushed slightly, not wanting to tell him.

"Oh, um...

"Just about that tunnel near my house..."

She heard him say, "Oh, that one," in recognition.

"How come?"

She put her hands behind her back. "Uh, well... h-how do I say this? I feel like I've forgotten something important there, like a promise or something of the sort."

Chihiro didn't notice her thinking drifting towards her earlier problem as she told him her thoughts before running into him, and that she believed they might be connected to that missing something within her brain.

She also mentioned that if she did remember something, the only thing she could think of was a girl with bright green eyes and short, darker green hair, though she couldn't be sure because the memory was shrouded in fog.

Taku hummed in thought.

"Well, nothing that happens is ever forgotten, even if you can't remember it," he said. "So I'm sure that it's still in there, somewhere."

Chihiro smiled, feeling as if she had heard that somewhere before. "Thanks, Taku-san."

His ears heated up again. "B-But that's just a thought I have!" He flustered. "You don't need to believe it if you don't want to."

She shook her head. "It's fine. T-thank you."

Shortly after they finally arrived at the classroom, and the rest of the day was uneventful as studies resumed.

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 **Hi everyone! I'm back with the first chapter of "We Meet Again". So how'd you like it?**

 **Honestly, I'm really happy that I was able to write this chapter, but I'm also kind of disappointed with the last part. I think I might've gotten a bit lazy towards the end, and also the pace is a bit weird, ugh. But still, I really hope you enjoyed it. Look out for Chapter 2, because Chihiro and Kohaku are finally going to meet! (Or maybe in chapter 3, but I doubt it.)**

 **Thanks for reading, as always!**

 **\- animellow**


End file.
